Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Pulled Back Muscles or Muscle Strain Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Experiencing a pulled muscle or muscle strain is probably one of the causes of back pain that almost everyone has heard of. Whether you’ve experienced it yourself or know someone who has experienced it a …
Back Pain – Introduction Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to do a series on a topic that on the surface seems simple BUT in reality, is anything but simple. This topic is back pain. Now I know what you are thinking, but Dr. Claire …
How Certain Foods and Medications Can Impact Dental Health
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
In my last blog on dental health, I will be reviewing the foods and medications that can negatively affect our teeth and overall dental health. What can you do if you are on any of these medications that can affect your teeth and dental health? Let us get into it shall we?
To start with just what medications can negatively impact dental health? Any medication that can cause dry mouth can increase the risk of tooth decay. This also means that they can also increase the risk of gum disease and even cavities. Examples of medications that can lead to dry mouth include antidepressants, antihistamines, and even certain cancer treatments. (1) Other medications that can cause dry mouth include those for overactive bladder. Certain stimulant medications used to help ADHD are also known to cause dry mouth. Additionally pain medications such as opioids can cause dry mouth. In addition to antidepressants, the medications typically used for anxiety, mood stabilization and even antipsychotic meds can all increase the risk of dry mouth. Even certain blood pressure medications can cause dry mouth. Lastly certain medications for Parkinson’s disease, muscle relaxers, nausea medications and even medications used for nerve pain can lead to dry mouth. (2)
Some medications are highly acidic which can damage the tooth enamel. One example would be aspirin. It is always important to take aspirin as directed and not allow it to be near the teeth or gums. In other words, swallow it, do not chew it. Another example of medications that are acidic would be those used for asthma. (1)
Other medications impact our dental health because they allow the growth of pathogens such as bacteria or even yeast. This increases the risk of certain conditions caused by these pathogens. For example, gum disease, dental abscess, cavities and even thrush. As you can guess, antibiotics can cause this side effect. Certain types of cancer treatment can also cause this side effect. (3) Immunosuppressant medications can decrease our ability to fight off any pathogens including those in our mouth. (1)
Certain medications can also cause gum swelling and something called gingival hyperplasia (gum thickening and overgrowth). Certain types of blood pressure meds can cause this. Other medications that can cause this side effect also include epilepsy medications and organ transplant rejection meds. (1)
One potential medication side effect is osteonecrosis of the jaw. This is a potentially serious complication of oral bisphosphonates. These medications are typically used for osteoporosis. These types of medications can also cause painful non-healing ulcers in the mouth. (1)
Medications in liquid form usually contain sugar and that added sugar can increase the growth of pathogens like bacteria. (1) Oral contraceptives can also increase the risk of gum disease. (1) Lastly NSAIDS can lead to mucositis and even mouth sores. (4)
While these are not all the possible medications that can affect our dental health, it is the list of those medications that I typically find are the most common. In addition to medications certain foods can negatively impact our teeth. These include sticky candies and sweets. Just a fun fact according to the ADA chocolate washes off the teeth more quickly than other types of candy! Starchy foods such as potato chips can get trapped in your teeth. Carbonated soft drinks are a problem for multiple reasons. For example, they are both full of sugar and acidic. Lastly any food (such as alcohol) that dries out your mouth can lead to dry mouth. (5)
What supplements can you use to help protect your teeth?
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Healing After Dental Work Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND When it comes to dental health one of the most frequent questions, I get asked is what should I take after I get dental work? In this blog I will be reviewing supplements that promote dental health …
LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~MOVEMENT AND EXERCISE by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Movement and exercise, or physical activity, is a healthy lifestyle component that we all know about and are often not consistent with in our day-to-day life. We all hear about it, read …
Aged Garlic
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Garlic is a nutrient that as a supplement or even spicy food enhancer can be found everywhere. The benefits of using garlic as either a supplement or even just as a spice to add to our food are numerous. If you check out the Invite health website there are numerous blogs talking about aged garlic. But what is Aged Garlic? Why is it different from regular garlic? And why would anyone even want to use aged garlic in the first place? It is a lot to talk about so let us get into it, shall we?
Simply put, has been allowed to age for approximately 20 months (about 1 and a half years). Typically, the active ingredients are then filtered and concentrated! This process modifies the harsh and often irritating compounds found in garlic extract. It also helps to generate some unique compounds that are good for our overall health. (1)
Moving on, just how does aged garlic compare to using regular garlic? To start with as I said during the aging process many of the more irritating compounds found in garlic are converted to less irritating forms. In other words, there is usually less of a “garlic” smell when you use aged garlic. (2) Studies have also found that aged garlic also has higher levels of flavonoids, phenolic and flavonol compounds when compared to fresh garlic. I bet I know what you are thinking, Dr. Claire, what does all this mean? It all boils down to antioxidant activity. The higher levels of these compounds means that aged garlic acts as a stronger antioxidant than fresh garlic. Studies have found that aged garlic may have greater benefits for reducing the risk of diabetic lesions than using fresh garlic. Overall studies have found that aged garlic is more helpful at reducing possible diabetic complications than just using fresh garlic! (3)
Another benefit to using aged garlic is that you need much less than fresh garlic. Typically, on average you would need to use 5-28 cloves of fresh garlic per day to get the maximum benefit! One of the benefits of using aged garlic is its strong ability to boost glutathione! This glutathione boosting ability means that aged garlic is a great supplement for boosting our immune system. (1) Aged garlic has been found in studies to help support heart health in diverse ways. For example, studies have found it to help with slowing the progression of atherosclerosis. (1)
What is my take home point when I compare aged garlic to fresh garlic? The higher amounts of antioxidants in aged garlic mean that it has stronger overall benefits for your heart, liver, blood sugar and even your brain! (4)
So why should you use aged garlic? Well, as I said, studies have found many benefits for aged garlic. Studies have found it may help regulate blood sugar and even help to reduce complications associated with high blood sugar. (5) Studies have also found that aged garlic can help with normalizing cholesterol levels. (6) Other studies have found that aged garlic can improve overall heart function and improve circulation. (7) Studies have even found that aged garlic can help improve memory and even reduce neuroinflammation (this is inflammation in the brain). (8) Even the liver has been found to benefit from aged garlic. (9) Lastly as I said earlier in the blog aged garlic is amazing for helping improve immune function. (1)
In case you are thinking ok Dr. Claire all this is great but isn’t black garlic even better? Why doesn’t Invite sell that? Well not it is not better because Black Garlic IS Aged Garlic. It is just another name for the same nutrient. (10)
Aged garlic is an amazing nutrient. Feel free to reach out to an Invite nutritionist to find out if it is right for you!
Up next let us talk about how to heal after dental work!
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